Gallery 1

Family Portraits

22 July - 2 August 2026

Opening night

24 July | 6 - 8 pm

Gallery Hours:
Wednesday – Sunday: 10 am – 5 pm (please note last day of exhibition ends at 3pm)

ARTIST  STATEMENT 

Duncan Macarthur’s practice explores the intersection of queer identity, memory, and the expressive potential of contemporary portraiture. Drawing from an archive of found family photographs and Pop iconography, they investigate how personal and collective histories can be reimagined through the physical act of painting.

Central to their work is a specialised methodology of material experimentation, using spray paint to fortify Queer narratives through a process of Mimetic Drift. By allowing the source image to dissolve and shift during execution, this visual drift serves as a potent metaphor for the fluidity of identity. By layering historical references with a vibrant, visceral materiality, Macarthur’s paintings bypass literal likeness to capture the psychological depth of the queer experience. Ultimately, this body of work invites viewers to consider how we construct our own histories and how those narratives continue to shape our presence in the world today.

ARTIST  BIOGRAPHY

Born in Sydney, Australia, Duncan Macarthur is a contemporary painter and university educator currently based between Melbourne and Brisbane. Their practice explores the intersection of queer identity, memory, and the expressive potential of portraiture, moving beyond literal likeness to capture a more visceral, psychological representation of the subject. Central to Macarthur's studio work is a specialised methodology of material experimentation using spray paint over water substrate, creating fluid material skins that alter the source image. This process, termed Mimetic Drift, allows the original reference, often drawn from a personal archive of found family photographs and Pop iconography to dissolve and shift, serving as a potent visual metaphor for the fluidity of identity and a critique of the regulatory gaze.

Currently a Doctor of Visual Arts candidate at the Queensland College of Art and Design (QCAD), Griffith University, Macarthur holds a Bachelor of Visual Art with First Class Honours from Griffith, alongside a Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art) with Distinction from RMIT University, and a foundational Bachelor of Arts in Physics from La Trobe University. Their work has been exhibited extensively across Australia and internationally, including solo exhibitions and group showcases at institutions such as Little Woods Gallery, Testing Grounds, Signal, and Artists Corner in Los Angeles. Macarthur’s paintings and prints are held in prominent public and university collections globally, including the National Art School, RMIT University, the Bandung Institute of Technology (Indonesia), and the Vilnius Academy of the Arts (Lithuania). Their academic and artistic merit has been recognised with notable awards, including the Griffith University Postgraduate Research Scholarship, the Griffith Award for Academic Excellence, and the Open Bite JCP Studios Award.